Box

ABSTRACT

A rectangular box  10  that can be made from folded card. The box  10  has a slip case  22  for holding a book  28  and an internal space  26  for storing objects. The internal space  26  is divided from the slip case  22  by a partition wall  20  extending between the top and bottom  16,17  faces of the box  10.  The internal space  26  has a window  30  so that its content can be inspected, and a flap  18  for covering the window  30.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a box that can be made from folded card, to be used in particular for storing a book together with other items.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Books are sometimes kept in a box known as a slip case. A slip case is a rectangular box having an open side through which a book can be inserted or removed, and will normally be appropriately sized such that it fits closely around the book it is intended to accept. When a book is placed in such a slip case, its spine remains visible through the open side, allowing the book to be stored and displayed on a book shelf in the normal way. However, such a slip case will not conveniently accept other items in addition to a book.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] According to the invention, there is provided a box comprising an internal space with a lid for accommodating objects and a slip case with an open side formed integrally as part of the box.

[0004] The internal space can be used to store one or more items whilst the slip case is used to hold a book. The box will be particularly useful if the items within the internal space are related to the subject matter of the book, as the box will then allow the book and the related items to be conveniently stored and/or carried about together. If the book is about animals, for example, small toy animals could be stored in the internal space, or if the book is a cookery book, the internal space could contain ingredients.

[0005] For the purpose of this specification, the box will be described as having a front face through which a book can be inserted into the slip case, a back face, a base and a top, and a first and second side. In use, the box can be placed on its base and stored on a book shelf between other books in an aesthetically pleasing manner, with the first and second sides of the box standing upright and parallel to the other books. The front face could be printed to resemble the spine of a book, to make it more attractive on a bookshelf.

[0006] The size of the slip case need not be chosen to accept only a single book: the slip case may accept a plurality of books, or other book-shaped articles, such as a compact disk with its case.

[0007] The internal space and the slip case will preferably be separated from one another by a partition wall within the box. One wall of the slip case will then be formed by the partition, and the remaining walls of the slip case will be formed by walls of the box.

[0008] Preferably, the partition will be parallel to the first and second sides of the box and the open front of the slip case will be between the partition and the first side of the box. The separation between the partition and the first side of the box will then define the width of the slip case, which can be chosen to match the width of the book the slip case is intended to receive. When a book is placed in the slip case, the spine of the book will be visible though the open front, as with a conventional slip case.

[0009] To give the box the appearance of a book, the first and second sides will preferably have a larger area than the top or front faces of the box. To give the box an appearance that is yet closer to that of a book, the front of the box will preferably be rectangular, with a long axis parallel to the first and second sides of the box.

[0010] The size and aspect ratio of the sides of the box will conform to the size of the book that the slip case is intended to receive.

[0011] A window will preferably be provided on the second side of the box, so that the content of the box can be viewed without opening the box. The window may be open, but will preferably be formed from a continuous sheet of transparent material in order to prevent the content of the box from escaping.

[0012] A flap may be provided over the second side of the box, in order to cover the window and/or give the box the feel and look of a book In order to resemble the front cover of a book, the flap will preferably be hinged along the line where the second side meets the front of the box and will preferably have substantially the same area as the side of the box.

[0013] The top of the box will preferably be openable in order to gain access to the inside of the box.

[0014] A cut away portion will be provided for the slip case on the front edge of the first side of the box so that a book in the slip case can be gripped more easily when it is being pulled out.

[0015] The box will preferably be made from a single-piece blank of folded card.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0017]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a box according to the inventions in the upright position;

[0018]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the box on its side with a book placed in the slip case;

[0019]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of part of the box looking in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1, where the top of the box is in the open position; and,

[0020]FIG. 4 is a plan view of a blank that can be used to construct the box shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] In FIGS. 1 and 2, a box 10 is shown having: a front 12 and a back 13; first and second sides 14 and 15; and a top 16 and a bottom 17. A partition 20 parallel to the first side 14 defines a slip case 22 in which a book may be received. On the other side of the partition, an internal space 26 is formed where one or more items may be stored. The box may be constructed of folded cardboard.

[0022] The slip case 22 is bounded by the first side wall 14; the partition 20; an area of the back 13 of the box 10 between the partition 20 and the first side 14; and top and bottom guide walls 16 a, 17 a parallel with and slightly displaced from the top and bottom 16,17 faces of the box 10. The front 12 of the box 10 has a front wall section 12 a extending from the second side wall 15 to the partition 20, such that an opening 24 is formed in the remaining frontal area between the partition 20 and the first side 14. The opening 24 allows a book 28 (FIG. 2) to be inserted in the slip case 22, between the partition 20 and the first side wall 14.

[0023] The depth of the slip case 22 is chosen in accordance with the size of the book 28 it is intended to hold, so that when the book 28 is fully inserted into the slip case 22, the spine 29 of the book is substantially flush with the front 12 of the box 10, as shown in FIG. 2. To facilitate the removal of the book 28 when it is fully inserted in the slip case 22, a semicircular cut away portion 27 is provided on the front edge of the first side wall 14, allowing the book 28 to more easily be gripped.

[0024] The internal apace 26 is bounded by the second side wall 15, the partition 20, the front wall section 12 a the back wall 13 and the top and bottom 16,17 of the box 10. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the top 16 comprises a top flap 16 b extending from the first side wall 14. The top flap 16 b can be opened to provide an opening 29 to gain access to the internal space 26 of the box 10. In the closed state, the top flap 16 b substantially covers the entire top surface 16 of the box 10, thereby concealing the adjacent guiding wall 16 a.

[0025] As can be seen in FIG. 2, the second side wall 15 has a window 30 formed by an opening in the side wall 15 and a sheet of transparent plastic 32 secured to the inside of the wall 15. A cover flap 18 is provided which in the closed position substantially covers the entire surface of the second wall 15, including the window 30. The cover flap 30 pivots about a crease line 46,50 where the second side wall 15 and the front wall section 12 a meet, and provides the box with an outside cover, like the cover of a book.

[0026] With the exception of the transparent window material 32, the box 10 can be made by folding a single flat blank 34 which can conveniently be of cardboard. A blank is shown in FIG. 4, where fold or crease lines are indicated by continuous lines.

[0027] The blank is folded with 90 degree folds at fold lines 40 and 42, such that the first and second side walls 14,15 are parallel with one another and perpendicular to the back wall 13. The back wall 13 has two sections: a first section 13 a which forms a wall of the slip case and a second section 13 b which forms a wall of the internal space 26. These two sections 13 a,13 b meet at a line 44. The line 44 will act as a crease line allowing the internal space 26 to be folded flat when the box is not being used.

[0028] The cover flap 18 has two leaves 18 a,18 b which are folded back on each other along a fold line 48. One leaf 18 a of the cover flap 18 is joined to the second side wall 15 at fold line 46, whilst the other leaf 18 b of the flap 18 is joined to the front wall section 12 a at fold line 50. The two leaves 18 a,18 b of the flap will be held together with glue, and the fold lines 46 and 50 will be brought together where the second side wall 15 and the front wall section 12 meet. The cover flap 18 may be omitted, in which case the front wall section 12 and the second side wall 15 will be joined directly.

[0029] The partition 20 will be folded at 90 degrees to the front wall section 12 a along fold line 52 such that the far edge of the partition 20 defined by fold line 54 comes into contact with the back wall 13. The partition 20 comes into contact with back wall 13 along the crease line 44 joining the two sections 13 a,13 b of the back wall 13.

[0030] The far edge partition 20 is secured to the back wall 13 by a tab 56 which is folded at 90 degrees to the partition 20 and affixed to section 13 a of the back wall 13.

[0031] The partition 20 and the first side wall 14 are maintained parallel to one another by the upper and lower guiding walls 16 a,17 a, which extend from the partition at 90 degrees and are attached to the first side wall 14 with folded tabs 58 a,58 b affixed to the side wall 14.

[0032] The upper flap 16 b for gaining access to the internal space 26 is connected to the first side wall 14 at crease line 60, where it is able to fold to a closed position perpendicular to the first side wall 14.

[0033] When the upper flap 16 b is in the closed position, a tab 16 c on the flap 16 b engages with folded tabs 62 and 64 extending from the back and front walls 13,12 respectively, thereby preventing the flap from opening inadvertently. The engagement of the upper flap 16 b with the tabs 62,64 also provides additional structural support to the box 10.

[0034] The bottom of the box 17 is formed by folded tabs 66,68,70,72 which engage with one another when the box 10 is in the erected position.

[0035] A further tab 74 is bent back on itself and affixed to the interior face of the second side wall 15 in order to give the edge of the side wall 15 a smooth finish along the opening 29 of the internal space 26.

[0036] When the box is erected as described above, a book can be placed in the slip case and items related to the book can be placed in the internal space region. The box can be orientated in the upright position as shown in FIG. 1 and introduced on a book shelf amongst books, thereby providing an aesthetically pleasing and convenient way to store a book and book-related items together. 

What we claim is:
 1. A box comprising an internal space with a lid for accommodating objects and a slip case with an open side formed integrally as part of the box.
 2. A box as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the internal space is divided from the slip case by a partition wall within the box.
 3. A box as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the box is a six-sided box.
 4. A box as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the partition is parallel to first and second sides of the box and a front face of the box has an open area, forming the opening of the slip case between the partition and a first side of the box.
 4. A box as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a window is provided on the second side of the box.
 5. A box as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the window is formed from a continuous sheet of transparent material.
 6. A box as claimed in claim 4 , wherein a flap is provided over the second side of the box.
 7. A box as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the flap is hinged along the line where the second side meets the front of the box.
 8. A box as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the top of the box is openable.
 9. A box as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first and second sides have a larger area than the top or front faces of the box.
 10. A box as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one wall of the slip case is partly cut away to assist access to a book in the slip case.
 11. A box as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the box is made from a single piece blank of folded card.
 12. A blank adapted to be folded to form a box as claimed in claim 1 . 